Guessing At Your Trials?
Men react to sufferings in varied responses only each can create, for suffering comes in many forms.Trouble, pain and distress carry no way of measurement; a safety factor I suspect from God, lest a competitive mankind will be continually pitting their pain against another's.
Yet, mankind's most common lament is surely - why me?
Since Adam's pre-history expulsion from Eden man has ever sought reason for his suffering.
There is education in pain, yet even education offers a mere morsel of satisfying answers to hardships.
Many a man's path is paved with fiery stones; or littered with bandits, lions, thorns and thistles.
Many a man's path only travels uphill, and yet he too will be beaten further (even into retreat) by the fiercest headlong storms.
Many a man's path winds in endless circles. At the roadside he glares, only seeing deserts that weave as far as the eye can see.
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you... (1 Peter 4:12a)
Trials can be a warning and a guide; a test that is to be won. Or, maybe the trouble is a temptation from a vengeful intent on destruction; a test not to be lost. (See Job 1:6-22, 2:1-10 & Psalm 66:10-12)
The human task is where-ever possible to discern the nature of the pain.
It is common to refer to pain as a 'refining' or a 'sifting'. These are words used in the Bible.
'Refining' is almost a parallel word to 'sifting'. The results would be very dissimilar, but the paths may be mighty similar. There is hardship and heartache upon both walkways. Yet, refining creates a man, sifting breaks a man.
Satan is the one who seeks to sift, and not refine (Luke 22:31). He is intent upon destruction.
The difference between 'sifting' and 'refining' begins at the spiritual motivations behind the trials.
'Refining' is the product of love, a kind tool of the Lord that only righteousness would become a man's harvest (Hebrews 12:11).
'Sifting' is the fruit of malevolence, a weapon formed of satan, that a believer is crushed. Separation from the Lord and the flock is won, and only wickedness is reaped.
'Sifting' is satan's effort to destroy faith. ~ John Piper
Spiritual fruit picking is the guide.
'Refining' seeks to fashion, sifting seeks to separate. 'Refining' invites conviction, sifting forces condemnation. 'Refining' lifts a man's identity that He will share in God. 'Sifting' crushes a man's identity that he flees God. AGAIN ~ it is in the results that the spiritual causes of suffering are revealed. The wise will discern their path's end before they reach its gate.
God's 'refining' aims for health. He is not a purveyor of destruction. 'Refining' leads the troubled soul to conviction and confession, and thus drawing a man much closer to the Lord. (Hebrews 12:1-11 is particularly helpful in grasping God's methods of refining.)
Destruction is the fruit of the evil one, a disciple's collapse is the only result satan pursues. 'Sifting' focuses on condemnation, and thus separation from the Lord.
The evil one studies Christians to discover where they are most vulnerable.
Scattered sheep are the works of the evil one. His intent is to first injure the disciple that he flees fellowship, wandering from the safe and holy arms of the heavenly Father. Isolated from the flock satan then approaches the disciple for the kill.
Satan is the father of murder, the great accuser and a liar from the beginning. These are the tools of his 'sifting'. (See John 8:42ff, Rev 12:10). Accusation and condemnation are conjoined twins. Accusations are not of the Lord in this season, only convictions.
Accusations are the partner of death upon a Christian's faith in both his horizontal and vertical relationships. These are satan's arrows and bullets of war.
'Sifting' wages a war first declared in the heavenlies against a man. This declaration is unheard, and its action are torrid toward disciples.
When sifting occurs fight accordingly - pray as a warrior and resist satan. He will then flee.
During the seasons of sifting satan defies God, confronting the disciple with fear and threat and misery. A disciple is merely cannon fodder to the evil one. Satan is best resisted in faith-filled, praise-filled, humble prayer from a resolute heart. Satan flees when Heaven is praised. From a disciple's obedience satan gains no footholds (spiritual authority against a believer).
There is an utmost necessity in accurately determining 'sifting' and 'refining'. This guides both the disciple's prayer and their human responses.
'Sifting' leads to spiritual battle, prayer-filled warfare against the unseen powers and principalities of this dark world that kill. 'Refining' leads to a humble repentance - a warfare with self that gives life. Don't let the battle make you nervous - let it drive you to your knees.
Be faithful unto death and I will give you eternal life. (Revelation 2:10c)
Today's Soul Snippet:
Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. (Psalm 63:3)
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